1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of footwear for use in the sport of downhill (alpine) skiing.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional method of affixing the foot of a skier to a downhill (as distinguished from cross-country) ski is by means of a molded plastic rigid-shell boot. The inside of the boot is padded with a resilient plastic foam liner, in order to approximate a fit to the foot. The forces from the foot to the ski for control of the ski are therefore transmitted first to a foam liner, thence to the plastic boot shell, finally to the ski binding, which grips the boot at toe and heel.
Boots of this type are notoriously uncomfortable, since in order to permit fine control of the ski the fit must be tight. Since the foot of each individual differs, it is not easy to make a boot that can fit many people both tightly and comfortably. If a boot is loose or has very soft padding, and therefore is comfortable, it offers little control. Some boots therefore are made with the foam molded in place to the foot of the individual wearer, but this is a relatively expensive customization process. Moreover, even in a boot of the latter type, the foot may become uncomfortable because the plastic shell is waterproof and the foam liner encloses the entire foot, therefore inhibiting the evaporation of perspiration, so that perspiration from the wearer's foot permeates the boot by the end of a strenuous day of skiing.